Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 21:03:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: CS Anonymous FTP <ftp@kohler.CS.Berkeley.EDU>
Message-Id: <199704150403.VAA21256@kohler.CS.Berkeley.EDU>
To: ddgarcia@cs.Berkeley.EDU
Subject: WWW form from dav85.reshall.berkeley.edu

PROJECT_STATUS01_NAME1=Terence Tay
PROJECT_STATUS02_NAME2=Carrie Wolberg
PROJECT_STATUS03_NAME3=
PROJECT_STATUS04_TITLE=Navigating in a Virtual Surgical Model

PROJECT_STATUS05_DESCR=This is not a modification of the original proposal but
a more detailed description of the features to be expected 
in the final implementation. The input device we are using 
is the Virtual Laparoscopic Device manufactured by 
Immersion Corporation. We are using Performer to generate 
the virtual environment.

The simulation will be in the form of a game where
the player attempts to use the input device as a camera 
to see targets in the environment. The purpose of this is 
to train surgeons to use an endoscope with a camera angled 
at 30 degress from the scope axis. There will also be a 
second input device to be used as a grasping instrument.
The player will need to use this grasping instrument to 
touch the target. The player will need to touch a certain 
number of targets within a time constraint.

The features of the final implementation are:
    *   time constraint for the simulation
    *   a fixed number of targets in the environment that
	the player has to find
    *   a 2nd input device that will be used to touch the
	targets

The authoring tool we are using is AC3D. It outputs
VRML files that we are importing into Performer.

PROJECT_STATUS06_WDONE=We have managed to interface one input device with
Performer. A timer for the simulation has also been set up.

PROJECT_STATUS07_INPUT=Mouse
PROJECT_STATUS08_OUTPT=Monitor
PROJECT_STATUS09_SYSTM=Performer
PROJECT_STATUS10_DEADL=A simple enclosed environment to show that the input
interface is functioning properly. The environment will 
have geometric shapes that can be viewed using the
simulated camera.

PROJECT_STATUS11_URL..=http://www-inst.EECS.Berkeley.EDU/~cs294-ak/
PROJECT_STATUS12_QUEST=We have encountered several difficulties while working on 
this project. The first is that there are only 7 SGIs in
349 Soda. We have to share these machines with other 
students including those in the Computer Graphics course.
SGIs are very scarce and we find it a problem to get a 
terminal when we want to work on the project.

The other problem is that we are using Performer to read 
a VRML file. Other than lazarus.cs.berkeley.edu, all the 
other SGIs in 349 Soda are unable to read VRML files, 
probably due to an installation problem. This limits the 
machine we can use to just 1 SGI workstation. This is 
severely limiting and has caused numerous problems in
getting hold of that one terminal.

---

For the demo, we need an SGI with Performer properly
installed. The laparoscopic device is in the Robotics Lab 
in 330 Cory. We can bring the device with us to the
location of the demo.